AS MARC handed Libby the glass of iced tea he noticed how carefully she accepted it, as if she wanted to avoid any contact with him.
The silence between them was heavy.
Libby sought around for something to say to break the feeling of tension. ‘This drink is very refreshing.’
‘Yes, it’s Marion’s own special recipe. She is an absolute gem.’
‘Unfortunately I haven’t got very good culinary skills.’ Libby knew she was talking rubbish now; it was something she did when she felt nervous.
‘Well, you probably have other more important talents than cooking, Libby,’ he said smoothly.
She didn’t dare look over at him; the low, sexy quality to his tone was enough to tell her they had by no means skated onto safer ground.
Instead she watched the sun as it started to go down leaving a shimmer of pink over the tranquil dove-blue sea. The evening was drawing in fast now and lights started to turn on in the garden. They twinkled in the purple light of dusk along the edges of the flowerbeds and highlighted the pool in fluorescent turquoise.
Libby darted a glance over at Marc and found he was watching her almost as closely as she had been watching the sunset. It made her feel acutely self-conscious. She didn’t know if she was glad of the velvety darkness that was starting to surround them, or more perturbed by its intimacy.
‘So, tell me, Marc, what is my dad like these days?’ she asked, trying to put her mind to more important things.
‘He’s a really nice guy,’ Marc said cautiously.
‘Tell me a little bit about him.’
Marc hesitated. ‘I suppose you know that, counting your mother, he has been married three times?’
‘Yes, I had heard. He doesn’t seem to have much luck in love, does he?’ Libby reflected. ‘It’s strange that he hasn’t had more children.’
‘Not really. I think losing you cut him up pretty badly.’
Libby wondered how true that was.
‘Apart from that there is not much to tell,’ Marc continued. ‘He lives in LA and he had a moderately successful career in local TV there. That was where I discovered him and from that point things really took off for him in a big way.’
Libby smiled at that. ‘You are nothing if not modest, Marc.’
‘I’m just telling you what happened.’ He shrugged. ‘Carl didn’t have proper representation, but he did have a lot of talent. I, on the other hand, have the business acumen and the contacts; I saw the possibilities, stepped in and signed him. Since then his career has been in sharp ascendancy in the States. And now he’s starring in a film with Julia Hynes who as you know is very much on the A list when it comes to celebrities. So I think you could say he really has made the big time now.’
As Marc was speaking she could see the glint of achievement in his eyes. ‘You obviously love the cut and thrust of business,’ she murmured. ‘But it’s quite a ruthless industry, isn’t it?’
‘It can be.’ Marc finished his drink.
‘Is that why you like it?’ she asked impulsively.
He glanced over at her and for a moment their eyes held. ‘Well, put it this way, I have never backed away from a challenge,’ he said quietly.
A little shiver raced down Libby’s spine. Going head to head against Marc was a risky business. She supposed she had known that from the first moment she’d met him at the airport. He was a man who got what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to play rough if circumstances demanded it. So, knowing how ruthless he was prepared to be…why was she so attracted to him? she wondered dazedly. Was it the sense of danger that was turning her on?
‘I think you are the same,’ Marc said suddenly. ‘I think you also don’t like to back away from a challenge.’
‘Maybe…’ She admitted the fact almost under her breath.
‘And maybe that is why there is a certain chemistry between us,’ Marc reflected softly.
‘Is there?’ She moistened her lips nervously and wondered how they had managed to slide onto such dangerous ground so suddenly.
‘You know there is.’ His eyes were on her lips now and she could feel her heart thundering against her chest.
She was very glad that Marion chose that moment to step out of the house and announce that dinner was ready.
‘Saved by the bell,’ Marc reflected wryly.
‘I don’t need saving, Marc.’ She batted wide blue eyes up at him, and ignored the hand he held out to help her up.
His lips twisted wryly. ‘If you say so,’ he murmured. ‘But I think time will tell.’
Libby lay in the deep comfort of the four-poster bed, but she couldn’t sleep. Not only was she unbearably hot, but also her mind kept replaying back over the evening.
She had to admit that it had been delightful sitting in Marc’s dining room with the candlelight flickering on the table between them. The food had been delicious and Marc had been good company. Somehow the conversation had been steered away from any kind of dangerous ground for most of the night and they had even managed to laugh together about some silly inconsequential matters.
She sensed now that it had been Marc who had done the steering. He had cleverly drawn her out and she had said a few things she hadn’t meant to. For one, she had admitted that her credit card bills were out of hand…
That had been a big mistake; as soon as she’d said it she’d wanted to bite her tongue out. But Marc had led the conversation to that point…she realised that now. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter…after all, Marc already knew she was in financial trouble from his report on her and she hadn’t answered his question about why she was in so much debt.
She tossed restlessly and then got up to open the bedroom window. There was a heavenly smell of lavender outside and the sky was clear and filled with a million stars. For a while Libby just leaned against the window sill and looked out. Moonlight reflected in the swimming pool and glistened over the darkness of the sea.
It was a very romantic setting, only the gentle tropical sound of cicadas to fill the warmth of the night. Libby suddenly remembered the way Marc had touched her hand lightly across the table as he’d made a point about something trivial. It had just been an insignificant fleeting moment, but it had set Libby’s body completely on fire.
Had he done it on purpose? she wondered now. Had he been testing her, gauging her reaction…like a predator observing his prey’s weakness?
Annoyed by the thought, she hurried back to bed. She was being ridiculous, imagining things.
Yet even so the undercurrent of tension inside her refused to go away, refused to allow her to sleep.
She tried to think about other things, but her mind kept returning to Marc.
It had been very clear just how much he adored his daughter; his love for the little girl had shone through in some of the things he had said about her and Libby had been entranced. It had made her like him more…made her relax.
‘It’s good that you are there for Alice,’ she had told him impulsively. ‘Divorce can be hard on children. I know I was unhappy for a long time after my parents split up.’
‘Your mother remarried, though, didn’t she?’
Libby nodded. ‘But it was not the same. My stepfather was…’ As soon as she started to tell him about Sean she realised her mistake. The information was simply too personal, and she hadn’t meant to reveal anything like that to him.
‘Was what?’ he probed gently.
But by then thankfully she had withdrawn from the brink. Opening up and revealing painful memories to your enemy was not a good idea. She needed to keep strong around Marc Clayton…every instinct told her that. And, besides, out of respect for her mother she really didn’t think she should talk about how volatile things had been in her mother’s relationship.
‘He was OK,’ she said instead.
As their eyes met Libby had the distinct impression that Marc knew she was airbrushing things out.
She glanced at her watch then. ‘I suppose it is getting rather late.’
‘Is it?’ He also looked at the time. ‘It’s only ten-thirty.’
‘Yes, but I should turn in.’ She smiled across at him. ‘And I’m sure you’ll want to get back to your own house. You’ve probably got a million things to do tomorrow. The film festival must be a busy time for you.’
‘Yes, it is. But things won’t really heat up until the day after tomorrow. I suppose you could say this is the calm before the storm. This week I have a few premieres to attend and a lot of business meetings.’
‘What day will Family Values premiere?’
‘Wednesday…I think.’
‘You think?’ Libby looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
‘Your father isn’t my only client, Libby.’
‘No…of course not.’
Even so she sensed he was prevaricating. She was sure Marc Clayton knew exactly what dates his clients’ films were showing.
That thought gave her the impetus to stand up from the table. ‘Well, thank you for a lovely evening,’ she said politely.
‘My pleasure.’ He also got to his feet. ‘I’ve enjoyed your company.’
He walked with her from the room and stopped by the bottom of the stairs. ‘Well, thanks again,’ she said, feeling awkward for some reason.
‘Libby.’ He caught hold of her arm as she made to turn away and then, to her surprise, bent to kiss her cheek.
The momentary contact was tantalisingly provocative. Libby longed to turn her head and meet his lips. It took all her will-power to turn away from him and wish him a cool goodnight.
Thinking about that moment now made her temperature rise further. She tossed restlessly. The thing that really irritated her was that she knew exactly what kind of man Marc Clayton was and yet she still felt drawn to him…like a lemming to a cliff.
She threw the sheets back, and gave up the pretence of trying to sleep. There was no way she could lie in this bed a moment longer, she was too filled with restless energy.
Libby wandered over to the window again and looked down at the darkness of the garden and the deserted terraces around the pool. She wondered suddenly if the water in that pool would be warm. Maybe a swim was just what she needed.
Impulsively she went over to the chest of drawers, took out her bathing suit and slipped it on. Then she put on her robe, took a towel and crept downstairs.
The house was in total darkness and she switched on a few lamps as she walked into the drawing room. Then she tried the French doors, half expecting them to be locked, but to her surprise they swung open easily.
The air outside was warm, and, although all the garden lights were switched off and the lawns and borders were in shadow, the pool was lit by the fullness of the moon.
Libby bent down and tested the water with her hand. It wasn’t very warm. For a moment she contemplated going back to bed; only the thought of lying awake for another few hours stopped her.
She was out here now, so she might as well make the most of it. Without giving herself time to change her mind, she slipped off her robe and walked down the steps.
The water enveloped her in its dark, silky folds and for a moment it felt freezing against her skin, but as she started to swim her temperature increased and by the time she had reached the opposite side the water felt suddenly warm.
She swam several lengths, enjoying the exercise. Then she allowed herself to drift, looking up at the clear star-studded sky until the chill of the water started to bite again and she decided to get out. It was only as she turned to swim over to the steps that Libby suddenly realised that she was not alone.
Marc was sitting on one of the chairs on the patio.
‘How long have you been there?’ she asked in surprise.
‘Quite a while,’ he said lazily. ‘I didn’t feel tired so I came out here to get some fresh air.’
‘I thought you had gone home ages ago.’ She pushed her wet hair out of her eyes and clung to the side of the pool, reticent about climbing out now that she knew he was watching.
‘Well, I’m glad I didn’t. I wouldn’t have liked to think you were out here alone after just getting out of hospital,’ he said sternly.
‘I’m fine, Marc.’
‘That is a matter of opinion. If you had a blackout while in the water you could drown.’ He stood up from the chair and as he walked closer she could see that he was still wearing the same clothes from dinner. Obviously he hadn’t been home.
‘I’m not going to black out. And there is no need to fuss.’
‘All the same, I promised Dr Lavelle that I’d keep an eye on you.’ He picked up her robe from the floor. ‘Come on, you’d better get out of there before you catch a chill.’
‘I’m not cold.’ She really didn’t want to step out of the water in front of him. Her swimming costume was very brief and she felt incredibly self-conscious. ‘And I absolve you from the responsibility of watching over me,’ she said with a grin.
He crouched down beside her. ‘If you are not cold, how come you are shivering?’
The amusement in his tone really irritated her. ‘I’m not,’ she said firmly and tried very hard to stop her teeth from chattering. ‘And I’ll get out in a minute once you’ve gone.’
He smiled. ‘I tell you what, I’ll do the gentlemanly thing and turn my back while you get out and put your robe on, OK?’
Libby hesitated. ‘Yes…OK, thanks.’ She did need to get out of here. Now she had stopped swimming it was very cold.
He straightened and turned his back on her. But it was only as she got out of the water and looked around for her wrap that she realised he was still holding it. ‘Marc, you’ve got my robe!’
‘So I have.’ He turned around and for a second his eyes drifted down over her figure. ‘I don’t know why you were hiding from me. You have a beautiful body…very shapely.’
The huskiness of his tone caused the shivers inside her to increase dramatically. ‘Just cut the smooth talk, Marc, and give me my robe.’ She held her hand out impatiently.
Instead of handing it to her, he came over and wrapped it around her shoulders. ‘There, that’s better.’
He was so close to her that she could feel the warmth from his body.
She wanted to step back from him, but she was too close to the edge of the pool. ‘I suppose you thought that was funny?’ She glared at him as she rubbed herself dry with the robe.
‘What was funny?’
‘Pretending to be a gentleman!’
‘I thought I’d behaved impeccably,’ he said.
‘Well, I beg to differ.’
‘Do you?’ He reached out and touched her face. His hand caressed silkily over her wet skin and made her start to shiver again…for all the wrong reasons.
‘I was very well behaved at dinner…didn’t make a single pass at you and, believe me, I was extremely tempted.’
‘Were you?’ She looked up into his eyes and could feel her heart thumping against her chest violently.
He nodded. ‘And then I wished you goodnight with just the lightest peck on the cheek when in fact what I really wanted to do was this…’ He leaned closer and she realised he was going to kiss her, but she couldn’t make herself move away.
His lips were warm against the coolness of hers; the feeling was extremely sensual, the kiss mind-blowing. She was reeling with the aftermath of it as he pulled back to look into her eyes. ‘I let you walk away from me up the stairs, when really what I wanted to do was sweep you up into my arms and take you to bed.’
The softly spoken words caused an intense rush of consternation mixed with excitement. The truth was she had wanted that too, she still did. And that was what was scaring the hell out of her.
‘So, you see, I think I’ve been very restrained,’ he murmured huskily. ‘I came out here to cool down…and then I saw this vision of loveliness disrobing to reveal tantalising curves. It really was very distracting and all my good intentions seem to be deserting me.’
‘I didn’t know you were here.’ She whispered the words unsteadily.
‘But maybe deep down you were hoping I was?’ He traced a finger down the side of her face, and then lower to where the trim of her bathing suit curved around her feminine form.
‘You are very sure of yourself, Marc Clayton,’ she said. ‘I have to tell you I don’t even like you very much…’
‘Don’t you?’ His fingers stroked lower over the wet costume and he could feel the hard peaks of her breasts. ‘Your body begs to differ.’
‘I’m cold,’ she murmured, trying very hard to fight the melting fires inside.
‘No, Libby…at this moment, I’d say you are very…very hot.’ His mouth found hers again and this time the kiss was hungry and intense. She felt the last little glimmers of resistance fading under the masterful strokes of his hand and his mouth. And suddenly she was giving in completely to the desire that he could stoke inside her with such ease.
Her hands tentatively reached out to touch his shoulders, and then seemed to travel of their own volition to rake through his hair as she kissed him hungrily back.
She felt the straps of her bathing suit come loose as he untied them, felt him slowly pulling it down as his lips moved down over her neck and then lower. Libby was completely powerless to resist.
His thumb brushed over the sensitised peak of her breast before the warmth of his mouth covered it, and she caught her breath at the pure ecstasy of the sensation.
Then suddenly he was pulling her robe closed. A sharp dart of disappointment seared through her. Was he putting a stop to things?
As he stepped back from her she looked up into his eyes and realised she had passed the point of turning back. The ache inside her was too insistent to ignore.
He stroked her wet hair back from her face. The gesture was curiously tender and it made her stomach turn over with desire.
‘Shall we go upstairs, make ourselves more comfortable?’ he suggested softly.
A tense silence twisted between them.
Libby hesitated, torn between the weight of her desire and the ignobility of inviting a man who had no regard for her—indeed, thought she was nothing but a gold-digger—into her bed. If she slept with him this would just be sex; there would be no tender feelings attached. She had never done that in her life before.
She shivered violently and Marc pulled the robe closer around her. ‘Let me help you get out of those wet things,’ he murmured playfully and leaned closer to kiss her again.
His kiss was so seductively passionate it was hard to remember that this was just a fling.
Libby kissed him back tentatively, and suddenly the caress deepened, sensuality heightened and she forgot her misgivings…forgot everything except the raw, primal need that was racing between them.
‘OK, you can take me to bed,’ she whispered against his lips. ‘Just this once…but it doesn’t mean anything…’
Even as she was speaking he was swinging her up into his arms.